WCS NA Ro16: Crank and Moonglade own Group B

Photo by: Blizzard
 

Day two of the WCS Round of 16 showed some fantastic games, with a group consisting of Apocalypse, Moonglade, Crank, and TheSTC. With only a single zerg player in the group there were completely different matchups then last night's group A, which largely consisted of zerg players.

TheSTC shows his drop play

The first series of the night was between TheSTC and Apocalypse. Game one Apocalypse looked fantastic going into the mid game, ahead in supply and with a significant exonomic lead due to the fact that he was able to catch TheSTC out of position and destroy is third base. Because of this lead he was able to have a larger marine/tank supply and was able to decimate TheSTC's army and take game one. Game two was nearly the opposite with TheSTC showing some excellent drop play, even sniping Apocalypse's third base, giving TheSTC a large economic lead. TheSTC continued with some impressive multi prong attacks which were able to catch Apocalypse off guard, in the final battle TheSTC was able to catch Apocalypse's army unsieged and completely demolish it giving him game two and tieing up the series 1:1. Game three was extremely back and forth with Apocalypse taking some heavy losses but steadily climbed his way back into the game by utilizing hellbat drops. Apocalypse eventually pushed through TheSTC's forces and sieged outside his base. However TheSTC was able to counterattack with a large force of marine/marauder that was able to shut down Apocalypse's economy, and at the same time defend his base against Apocalype's mech heavy force which allowed him to take the game and the series 2:1.

Crank sends Moonglade to the losers match

The second series of the night was between Monnglade and Crank. Game one Moonglade decided to play a bit cheesy, with an early spawning pool that caught Crank off guard and was able to take a quick game one for Moonglade. Game two Crank decided to play a bit safer and went into the mid game with a heavy supply of colossus/void ray, he then was able to push against Moonglade's hydralisk/corruptor army and simply demolish them giving Crank game two. Game three went back and forth between both players, with Moonglade taking out Crank's third base, and Crank holding the attack and pushing back to take out two of Moonglade's bases which allowed him to climb back into the game with a superior composition of colossus/stalker/tempest and take game three and the series 2:1 over Moonglade.

Crank shows some great muti-tasking 

The third series of the night was the winners match between Crank and TheSTC, the winner of this series would advance on to the round of 8. Game one was an interesting match, where both players did not take a third base till the 25 minute mark. TheSTC pulled a large portion of his SCVs for an all out assault on Crank's natural. The battle was held by Crank but at significant losses which left both players on even worker supply. Crank then tech switched to high templar and it went unscouted by TheSTC which allowed Crank to engage with his army and decimate TheSTC since he had no counter to high templars. Game two Crank was able to completly out harass TheSTC by using warp prism harass and zealot counter attacks. He also positioned numerous high templar on the high ground which allowed him to storm a large portion of TheSTC's army, which alllowed his army of zealots and archons to steam roll TheSTC's forces, and take the series 2:0.

Moonglade keeps foreign hopes alive

The fourth series of the night was the losers match between Apocalypse and Moonglade, the winner would go on to face TheSTC for a chance to advance on to the round of 8. Game one Apocalypse did a huge amount of economic damage to Moonglade with widow mines. Apocalypse teched into mech play which was not scouted by Moonglade until there was a large force of hellbat/thor. Moonglade was able to keep Apocalypse at his base by constantly counter attacking, meanwhile Moonglade was teching to swarm host so he could counter Apocalypse's mech. He was able to barely get out his swarm host in time and with these units he was able push Apocalypse's army back and eventually he was able to out micro his opponent's Ravens and take game one. Game two Moonglade was able to go into the late game with a heavy economic lead against Apocalypse, and then tech switch into ultralisk/infestor which allowed him to demolish Apocalypse's forces and take the series 2:0.

Moonglade secures his spot in the round of 8

The final series of the night was between Moonglade and TheSTC, the winner would advance on to the round of 8. Game one Moonglade looked great going into the mid game, trading efficiently against widow mines and drop plays. When the late game hit he was able to contain TheSTC on two mining bases while he teched to ultralisk/infestor. When the late game engagement came Moonglade had too good of an economy and was able to replace any losses and overwhelm TheSTC to take game one. Game two TheSTC did not want a repeat of game one, he made sure to deny Moonglade the ability to expand freely. His superior drop play was able to shred Moonglade's economy and tie up the series 1:1. Game three Moonglade was able to take out TheSTC's hellions so he had free reign to spread creep all over the map. This allowed him to freely expand and be able to quickly move between the bases so he could defend drop plays. Then when the late game came it was nearly a repeat of game one with Moonglade starving TheSTC for minerals and demolishing his army with ultralisk/infestor. Moonglade was able to take the series 2:1 and secure his spot in the round of 8.